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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Brooke Fraser will be appearing at Mr Smalls Friday, 5/6. We are happy to be giving away a pair of tickets to the show. As usual, just email us at pghmusicreport@gmail.com with your name.

Brooke hails from New Zealand where she is a multi platinum artist and sells out regularly around the world. She is touring behind her release Flags which has received global praise. The record is self produced while the songs are short stories that Brooke picked up from the places and people she met while on the road.

Brooke will be playing with the Cary Brothers at Mr Smalls. Show starts at 8p. For more information on Brooke Fraser please following these links:

Monday, April 25, 2011

Trace Bundy will be appearing this Thursday, 4/28 at the Rex Theater. He was kind enough to answer a few questions before he left on tour. Again, you can win a pair of tickets to the show by simply emailing your name to pghmusicreport@gmail.com

What type of music were you listening to growing up that got you into finger picking?

Early on I was a huge fan of old folk-rock, like Simon & Garfunkel and Cat Stevens, and I was really drawn to that fingerpicking style of guitar playing. Then in college, David Wilcox greatly impacted me - on top of being an incredible story-teller and songwriter, he's a phenomenal guitarist. He got me into alternate tunings and inspired me in my capo work. Ani Difranco's aggressive percussive & strumming techniques also impacted my song writing.

How do you go about creating the structure to your songs? Do you work with others?

It varies. I haven't done a lot of collaborating, although I'd love to do more of that. Sometimes I write a song based on a specific musical idea, and other times, I noodle around and find a melody that I find compelling. Every time it is different. Song-writing takes me a long time - I think I'm a bit of a perfectionist!

I read that you have a masters in civil engineering. How did playing music full time come about?

I've been playing guitar since I was 10, but my parents drilled into me that I needed to find a career aside from music. So I pursued engineering. After I got my Masters degree, I ended up teaching at the University of Colorado for a couple years as an adjunct Professor. It was during that time my music really began to take off. Pretty soon it was clear that I couldn't do music and teach at the same time, so in 2003 I quite my job and started touring full time. Quite the career change!

How important is music theory to creating your art?

Very important. When I first started writing music, I had a rule that every song had to "break a rule" of music theory at least once. I never formally studied music, but learning theory was essential for me. Once I learned the "rules" I was able to think out of the box and be creative.

When playing live is there structure to your live set or more of a jazz feel?

I put a lot of thought into my concerts, so I guess you could say there's a structure. I love to tell stories between songs and create an intimate, joyful atmosphere.

What made you want to dedicate your life to music? Was there a show or album?

My two best friends & I in high school played music together, and it was those first coffee shop concerts that grew my love of music. My passion for music is something I've always wanted to share with others, and every concert or musical experience confirmed that. Music is timeless and allows people to connect beyond language, race, class. It is an honor to get to commit my life to sharing music with others.

What would you like to accomplish as a band? What are the goals?

I'd love to keep doing what I'm doing: continuing to share my music with people as I tour nationally & internationally. My biggest goal is always to be a person who lives life with passion and joy, and if that rubs off on the people I meet, then I've done my job.

Anything you would like to say to Pittsburgh?

Just that I'm looking forward to coming back! I really enjoyed my first time through last year and hope to make it an annual stop.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Trace Bundy will be appearing at the Rex Theater this Thursday, 4/28. Trace is an acoustic guitar performer who is internationally known for his picking style. We are please to be giving away a pair of tickets to the show. All you have to do is email us at pghmusicreport@gmail.com with your name.

From his bio:

Trace Bundy must be seen, not just heard. His music is poetry in motion, using harmonics, looping, multiple capos, and his unique banter and stage presence to deliver an unforgettable live concert experience. Listening to his intricate arrangements is one thing, but seeing the fan-dubbed "Acoustic Ninja" play live confounds even the most accomplished music lovers as to how one person can do all that with just two hands and ten fingers.

Trace has independently sold over 59,000 albums on his record label, Honest Ninja Music, and regularly sells-out shows with standing ovations at venues across the USA and around the world, in 16 countries and counting. Video clips circulate virally at astonishing speed, with over 16,000,000 YouTube views to date.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Pepper Rabbit will be appearing at Garfield Artworks on Friday, 4/22. They are a duo based out of Los Angeles and touring behind their debut album Beauregard. They have recently opened for such bands as Ra Ra Riot and Miniature Tigers playing their whimsical, fun songs. Below is an interview member Xander Singh gave us along with a few songs off their lp.

You are a fairly young duo. How did this venture come about for the two of you? Had you been in bands previously? Or?

We met through a mutual friend while Luc was living in Boston, and whenever I played a show Luc would play drums with me. Eventually our musical relationship evolved over time and we started the band. Luc had been playing in lots of different bands in Boston but this was my first venture into starting or being in a band.

I read one of your families now resides in India. How has that affected your sound?

My parents moved to India my senior year of high school, but I cant say Iv'e been influenced by India itself. Suddenly being thrown into a situation where I left the house and was essentially on my own very quickly and adjusting to that new life likely influenced me to take music a bit more seriously and focus on honing my craft.

I also read there was a year hiatus from when you initially worked together (in New Orleans) to when you reformed in LA. How did you come back together?

After the initial round of recording in NOLA, Luc when back to finish school in Boston, and I went back to LA to finish writing and recording the record. After he graduated he moved out to LA and soon after that we started touring.

Your recordings sound like they use a variety of ‘whimsical’ instruments and sounds. Would that be accurate? Is that something you strive for?

I would say so. Iv'e always been interested in music with a wide scape of sound and instruments, so when I started writing I liked to write with a ton of different instruments in the room so that I would have many options available, and that helped to craft the sound of the band for sure

To create these sounds, do you perform as a duo or bring others on the road with you? Do you use a lot of samples when playing live?

We do bring another musician with us that plays bass, keyboards and sings backup and allows up to be more expansive with the live sound. I honestly don't think we could do it without at least 1 other person, ha. We don't play to any tracks but have a few textural samples we trigger, such as certain noise tracks from the recordings or a few clarinet lines here and there. I also do a lot of live looping to thicken the sound.

You just recently played SXSW. How was that experience this time around?

It was great! all of our shows were in the first three days so we had saturday to run around and see shows and have some fun. The whole experience was amazing, and the most tiring event Iv'e ever been involved with.

Any funny/humorous stories from the road?

On the last show of the last tour we did with Miniature Tigers we threw a bit of a party on stage, playing on each others sets and passing around shots. At one point their drummer, Rick brought a 10 foot tall ladder on stage during out set, climbed to the top and started singing backup, while Charlie, their singer grabbed my clarinet and started squeaking into a microphone. And at the end of the night I had a few sizable gashes in my legs from jumping off the stage during their set. All around a great night!

What made you want to dedicate your life to music? Was there a show or album?

Well I wouldn't quite say Iv'e dedicated my life to music. I have lots of other interest that I love to practice and lots of other things I'd like to do down the road, but for now I'm just focused on making the best music I can and having tons of fun.

How do you go about creating your music? Do you all contribute to the lyrics and music?

I write the lyrics and most of the music except drums, but when the song is getting to the final stages Luc and I enter into a very democratic editing process where we pick apart each detail and try to make it the best it cant be.

What would you like to accomplish as a band? What are the goals?

I would like to be able to take the band as far as it can go. Hopefully be lucky enough to play shows outside the U.S. and have the ability to keep making records and that people will enjoy what we do.

Anything you would like to say to Pittsburgh?

Very excited to see you all again! Our last show at Brillobox was a blast!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Slow Reel is our local artist spotlight for the month of April. They are a quintet who count 2.5 members as doctors. Led by front man Rob Collier the band has been playing in Pittsburgh since 2009. Rob was kind enough to answer our 'spotlight' questions. Below you can find songs by the band along with a video they did for WPTS.You can find more information about them at these sites:

How did the band come together? Were you all friends that went to school?

Madison, Matthew, and I went to high school together in Birmingham. We all played in the school jazz band. We met Teal and Zeina after we moved to Pittsburgh.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?

We play original songs with a classic rock vibe.

Are you all originally from the Pittsburgh area? Families here as well?

None of us are from Pittsburgh. I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. Madison and Matthew grew up in Birmingham. Teal is from Vermont and Zeina is from Virginia. We don't have families in the area, except that Matthew has a wife now. But even she's not from Pittsburgh. We had to ship her in from Canada.

Do you have day jobs?

We all have day jobs. 2.5 of us are doctors.

How do you create your music? What is the song writing process?

I write the songs then I teach everyone else the chords. Sometimes I have specific ideas about what the others should be playing, but usually we just work them up together.

What are your goals for the band? What would you like to accomplish? Are you trying to get signed to a label?

We are working on some short term goals right now. We are going to be releasing a new full-length album on June 11, so everything is kind of building up to that. Once that's over, if we aren't billionaires, we'll come up with some more short term goals. Like improving our long-jump and/or becoming billionaires.

What advice would you give to local acts trying to make it?

Don't have 2.5 doctors in your band.

Have you all toured nationally? Or do you usually stay more regionally?

We haven't played outside of Pittsburgh yet, but we're planning some stuff for the summer. Everyone's schedule is pretty crazy right now. There was about a 2 month period where we only had 2 rehearsals that all 5 of us could attend. Our last rehearsal was devoted to scheduling more rehearsals. So I'm just excited that we're able to play at all right now.

Being in the Pgh area, do you find it more difficult to try and succeed?

I think it's pretty easy to have a band that is successful on the local level in Pittsburgh. The music scene is really supportive. There are some good blogs that are primarily devoted to local music. There are some great venues and a lot of good bands to play shows with.

What are some of the obstacles you face trying to create some 'success' in Pgh?

Well, I guess the scene is kind of small, so it can be hard to strike the right balance between playing too many shows and not enough shows. But maybe that is an issue no matter where you are. You always have to find that balance.

Is there a venue you have enjoyed playing more than others in the area?

It's always great playing at the Brillobox. The sound is so good there. And they have a good beer selection, if you're into beer. If you're not into beer, try the water. It'll blow your mind.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

In keeping with the "kick offstage" theme, we bring you yesterday's performance by Cee Lo. I have been to Coachella more than a few times, but this year was watching it online. Last night, while the Pens were throttled, a few of us were watching his show live on the net. Things started off poorly, as CL showed up 20 minutes late to his set. When he started playing, you could barely make out what he was singing while the mix was absolutely horrible.

Of course, this never happened to his liking. He ended up tell the audio man to fuck himself. His last song was Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" which he wasn't able to get through because Coachella cut him off. He told Golden Voice (promoters) to fuck off before walking off and visibly bitching out anyone associated with the concert. Disappointing for the large crowd that turned out for him. But he was right in one regard; he previously stated he wasn't happy with his set time. And who can blame a 300 lb man in 100 degrees of heat?

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

If you missed out on Sunday night's Wise Blood show in the south side (at J. Verno Studios/Liquid Sundays) you missed something special. Two words for you: legen (wait for it) dary.

First, let me just say Liquid Sundays is held in a spectacular venue. It's unlike any you will experience in Pittsburgh. However, there is a caveat to attending. The studio also hosts a 'church' where they ask you to attend between acts, but in a very respectful way.

Wise Blood was the second act of the evening and began putting on a epic performance for more than a modest crowd. The show was going well with WB speaking to the crowd during songs. He dropped a few choice words while swigging a beer onstage, but nothing out of the ordinary from a normal show. However, approximately eight songs into the set, the venue's director decided to cut off WB. The reason? Well, we aren't really sure. A little cursing, drinking, acting silly. But nothing you wouldn't expect from a WB set.

Trying to listen into the conversation WB was having with management afterwards, it still wasn't exactly clear. But cursing and alcohol appeared to have something to do with it. Which begs the question, "What was a 'church' doing booking WB in the first place?" Plus, giving free drinks out with your paid admission. Look at the video and judge for yourself. All I can say is epic.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Young Prisms will perform this Friday, 4/15 at the Brillobox. They are a young band out of San Fransisco (most beautiful city in US). It's easy to describe their music as 'shoegaze', taking queues from My Blood Valentine, Ride, among others. But their sound goes much deeper than that (plus they have photos of a boston terrier on their site which makes the band badass). They are touring behind their debut lp Friends For Now, that was released this past January.

The group’s lyrics, which you’ll have to do your best to decipher, are laced with a kind of nonchalance (I’m thinking of one song off the new LP called “If You Want To,” as in “whatevs”) that devolves quickly into a grim, passionate poetry part My Bloody Valentine, part Sonic Youth, part Charles Bukowski, part some kind of uncategorizable sparkly ecstasy. Whoa.

So consider this a warning issued with an inviting grin: this music will make you want to drop acid and become a recluse. Or it will make you even less excited to work your shitty day job. Or it will make you jump up and down in a dark crowded room while your eardrums bleed. Or it will make you feel something secret like happiness, minus any sentimental whimsicality. Or it will make you want to read Sarte, or graphic comic books, or maybe Hunter Thompson. And in one hundred years when people want to know what it felt like to be young on the West Coast in the early new millennium, they might just put on this record, by these rising kings (and queen) of Psychedelic Slackerdom.

Young Prisms will be opening for the Fresh & Onlys at the Brillobox. Show begins at 10p.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Two of New York's once underground openers now mainstream megastars playing the same weekend at the world's most famous, yet very dated arena. What else is there to say?

Then comes Elvis Costello. The first surprise of a long weekend when he made a unplanned appearance before The Strokes set by playing three of his major hits including "Pump It Up" and "Radio Radio". He proclaimed, "Happy April Fool's Day!", and left the stage. Walking to our seats while he played I was immediately taken back by how loud he was playing. I had read that the sound at this famous venue was somewhat lacking, but even though it was very loud I thought the highs and lows were very well mixed and the vocals were understandable. More on this later.

With Costello off it was time for the main event. This would be my first time seeing The Strokes as I had unfortunately missed slim opportunities in years past as they bounced around Pittsburgh. The set started off with the title track of their debut album Is This It which slowly got the sold out crowd geared up for more. With a four album catalog in their bags they spread song coverage very efficiently hitting on all major points from the rest of their albums including their latest Angles. Most of the newer songs came off much better live including "Games", "Gratisfaction", and "Taken For a Fool" (with a little help from an other surprise visit from Costello), but the debut's heavy hitters really stole the show. "The Modern Age", "Last Night", and the rocking closing "Take It Or Leave It" provided the most response from the New York crowd.

On Saturday the scene was very similar yet completely different. Young hipsters dressed in all white, slim black ties, and wrinkled white dress shirts invaded Madison Square Garden for the final show ever by the indie dance punk band LCD Soundsystem. If you're waking from a coma I'm sorry to have had to tell you this news. For the rest of us who follow any interweb music sites this was the most hyped concert since the invention of Twitter or even Facebook.

Ticket bots and scalpers had bought up all the tickets leaving the kids empty handed. Walking up to the entrance the scalpers filled the gaps everywhere you looked making it abundant that the scalpers were indeed losing the battle. By the time LCD was about to take the stage I would guess that about two thirds of the arena was filled. Once on every space was filled. Guess the scalpers won the war after all.

Of course I was grateful to be there. Who wouldn't be? Unfortunately my seats weren't as good as they were for The Strokes and we were located in the South Press Box located between the 300 and 400 sections. I couldn't believe the sound difference between our two spots. It was clearly noticeable and as LCD assaulted through their first set I can't help to say that it really deterred my concert experience.

They started with three tracks straight off their 2010 effort This Is Happening then into a mixture from their self titled and Sound of Silver albums including a slightly remixed version of "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House" sans a rumored appearance Daft Punk.

With that said, LCD Soundsystem then went on to play the longest concert I had ever witnessed of over three and a half hours. One could consider this a good thing, but during the second set progression through their mostly instrumental album 45:33 I grew tired and somewhat bored. I know, I know. This is the last show ever! They can do whatever they want, right? Yes they can, but for the none stimulated, more than average fan, the instrumentation was a little too much. If there was ever a time where the ecstatic crowd took a breather it was during this.

During their third and final set they got back to the basics which I fell in love with when I saw them at Coachella with songs like "Us vs Them", "Someone Great", and the most amazing live song ever "Losing My Edge". Oh, and members of Arcade Fire sang on "North American Scum". They are Canadian after all.

Lastly, they finished with the typical "New York I Love You, but You're Bringing Me Down" as James Murphy dramatized the song before the tied up white bands of balloons fell onto the sweaty and exhausted crowd. With that him and his band descended with hugs all around for backup singers, special guests (including Reggie Watts and his infamous air guitar), and Murphy's family members. A fitting end to the LCD Soundsystem long trek.

In an age where bands retire then reunite over and over I hope they do stay the course of actually staying retired. The music industry needs bands like this, but more importantly it needs bands who keep their word. Bands who aren't enticed by big pay days when the bank account starts running dry. Based on everything James Murphy has said up until this point there's no better person to echo these attributes. Let's hope this remains true.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Our favorite local act Wise Blood will be playing this Sunday in the Southside. Details below:

Pittsburgh, PA – April 10, 2011 - On Sunday, April 10, Liquid Sundays will feature Wise Blood, Wreckids and Huck Finn with art from local Pittsburgh Artists from 6 -10 p.m. at J. Verno Studios on the Southside. Admission for the event is $12 advance, $15 door.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.showclix.com/event/31847. This is a 21 and over event. The ticket price includes light appetizers and 3 drink tickets for the bar.

There will be a variety of local artists including David Calfo (Wood, Resin, Steel), Kevin Rupert (Painting), Andrew Oh Ellis (Visual Art and Design), Rebecca Chiappelli and Laura Mustio (Photography), Marcia Furman (Acrylic Paintings), Adalgisa Bosonetto (Contemporary Glass Mosaics) and a live Pottery showing by Marko Biddle. Some of the art for the event will be available for purchase from the individual artists.

"Liquid Sundays are a way for us to recognize the exceptional talent we have here in Pittsburgh, and to build connection and community around that reality" Ethan Harrington, an organizer for the event commented. "We are really excited to be hosting such a great lineup to launch this Spring event."

Liquid Sundays is an art and music event that seeks to promote, engage and connect Pittsburgh's dynamic art and music scene. It is a quarterly event held at J. Verno Studios on the Southside.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

This Tuesday 4/12 Tristen will be playing at Stage AE. We are happy to be giving away both a pair of tickets to the show and her new album At the Garden Gates. Just send us an email with your name to pghmusicreport@gmail.com. Let us know if you are interested in the tickets or cd or both.

Tristen Gaspadarek will be opening for Ezra Furman and the Harpoons for this performance. She currently resides in Nashville by way of Chicago where she was raised. She has been getting rave reviews from her new lp from such publications as Rolling Stone while making an appearce on NPR's World Cafe. From Rolling Stone: "Her addictive debut is full of such moments: catchy refrains with multiple meanings, ear-tugging melodies with hidden hooks. She flaunts a philosophy major's palette amidst echoes of vintage rockabilly and girl group pop: Gods battle, queens bid their rule, girlfriends enable druggy lovers."

And from her bio:

Born Tristen Gaspadarek, she grew up in the Chicago suburb of Lansing, Illinois, where her musician father, instilled in her a love of music. She began singing from the time she could speak, took up the piano at the tender age of 8, and, inspired by her local Oldies 104.3 and The Beatles, began writing her own songs. It wasn’t long before she picked up the guitar and started performing her original material in local coffeehouses. Upon graduating DePaul University in 2007 – with a degree in Relational, Group, and Organizational Theories of Communication – Tristen decided to focus on her music and moved to Nashville.

Having previously recorded countless demos at her dad’s home studio, Tristen now took control of her craft, cutting songs on a $200 Mbox Mini and posting them on MySpace. An album’s worth of her home recordings, entitled Teardrops & Lollipops, were then packaged in handsewn sleeves and sold at shows. She soon became part of Nashville’s emerging community of young artists, a loose collective of musicians and writers deeply connected yet simultaneously unbound from the city’s country heritage. It wasn’t long before her poignant, powerful songcraft caught the attention of local producer Jeremy Ferguson, who suggested they work together at his Battle Tapes Recording.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

O'Death will be performing next Tuesday, April 12th at the Thunderbird Cafe. They are touring behind their new album, Outside, that will be released the following week (April 19th). This is the third album for the Brooklyn quintet who play what are often compared to Beirut and Frank Black. While their banjo-driven sound can still be described as hauntingly Appalachian, ODeath has let loose of their punk roots to reveal a record that is more subtle and darkly-triumphant, representing exactly where the songwriters have found themselves in the moment. (Drummer David Rogers-Berry battled cancer in 2009 and made a vanquishing recovery to be a part of this album).

From their press:

In late July of 2010, New York quintet O'Death -Singer/guitarist Greg Jamie, Gabe Darling on banjo and ukulele, drummer David Rogers-Berry, bassist Jesse Newman, and violinist Robert Pycior - returned to the stage after a year-long hiatus to play a critically-acclaimed set at the Newport Folk Festival. In many ways it was the perfect start to a new era in the band's existence, and a logical precursor to their upcoming third LP. O'Death return to Ernest Jenning Record Co. for Outside, set for release April 19th.

After endless touring on the rollicking one-two punch of their debut Head Home (Ernest Jenning Record Co.) and sophomore barnburner Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin (Kemado), the band was sidelined in the midst of their 2009 tour when Rogers-Berry was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma. Ten months of chemotherapy and a shoulder replacement later, the group returned to the studio with a new outlook on life, and began work on their most fully conceived project to date - an affirmation of sorts. With the help of producer/engineer Billy Pavone (The Fall, Asobi Seksu, White Rabbits), the result is a record that is both the most subtle and massive accomplishment of the band's career. Outside is a darkly triumphant and free-flowing album that represents exactly where the songwriters have found themselves in this moment. As Pycior notes, "I love the dynamic disparity in the album: the fragile parts of 'Bugs,' 'Ourselves,' and 'Don't Come Back...,' the huge endings in 'Alamar,' 'Look at the Sun,' and 'Pushing Out.' ...and I love ending on a different and demented tone with 'The Lake Departed.'"

Saturday, April 2, 2011

The Builders and the Butchers will be playing at the Brillobox this Friday night, 4/8. They just release their third album, Dead Reckoning, in February of this year to favorable praise. The album is a dark, raucous blend of folk/blues/rock/bluegrass. The band's two drummers play a deconstructed drum kit (which is basically one kit split up into pieces between the two of them). The band is out of Portland, Oregon and has been together for the last five years.

From their press:

The Builders went into the studio with the idea of peeling back layers to where the essence of the song lies, and to try and finally fully encapsulate their raucous, impassioned live show. Joining up with Adam Selzer (The Decemberists, M. Ward, She & Him), who worked on their sophomore album Salvation is a Deep Dark Well, and engineer Dylan Magierek (Mark Kozelek, Starfucker, Thao Nguyen), the band created their third album Dead Reckoning using the recording style of the 1950s and 1960s, where the magic of a song was captured by the band playing together live and with minimal overdubbing. The Builders tracked almost all of Dead Reckoning in live takes, with Sollee handling vocals and guitar in one room and the rest of the band playing in the other. Only a few minor overdubs were allowed and they played all of the instruments on every song, save for two guest violin parts laid down by friends Amanda Lawrence and Zy Orange Lynn. With tracking and mixing taking a total of only eight days, the energy and intensity of time spent in the studio is immediately apparent on each song.

A dead reckoning is an age-old method of sea navigation that involves using past position, speed, and drift to calculate current and future location. Dead Reckoning, with its classic, timeless sound, is a measure of where the band and its music, as well as these times in which we live, have been, are now, and where it all might be going. “I thought it would be a perfect title for the album given its stripped down sound, and how most of these songs tell stories, many of which are set in the past, “ Sollee reveals. “Like our previous records, the settings of the songs follow a few main ideas: the father and the son, early 1900s America, absolute good and evil, addiction, and religion. On this album, I really thought a lot about the end of the world and the dark times we live in, how the feelings we feel and the world we experience is not that different from 1930s America, and I thought about the music that was created at that time. This is where the inspiration for these songs originated.”